Medical Laboratory Technician Salary

The median annual medical laboratory technician salary is reported to be about $43,000 per year. The median hourly wage is about $21 per hour. The top 10th percentile of this workforce reported wages of about $53,000 or more per year or about $25 or more per hour. The bottom 10th percentile of medical laboratory technicians had a salary of $35,000 or less per year or about $17 or less per hour. The middle 50$ of this profession had an income ranging from $38,000 to $48,000 per year or $19 to $23 per hour.

There are many factors that can influence how much a medical lab technician earns. Some of the most common factors include, type of establishment they are employed in, number of hours they work, number of years of experience they have on the job, education and skills level and geographical location of their jobs.

Some medical laboratory technicians may be paid benefits on top of their salaries. This is largely determined by their employer. The employer may provide benefits such as social security, healthcare benefits, 401K, pension and paid time off to their medical laboratory technicians. When you add these benefits to their base salary, their median remuneration package could be as high as $63,000 per annum.

Job description of a medical laboratory technician

Medical laboratory technicians (MLTs) are generally found working in hospital or private laboratories and in the labs of private physician practices. MLTs generally perform simple and routine laboratory tests on blood and tissue samples.

MLTs collect, prepare and handle samples to be tested. They test samples for parasites, bacteria and other microorganisms. They analyze fluids to determine their chemical contents; find and match blood to patients needing blood transfusion and perform tests to check for level of drugs in a patient’s blood.

MLTs are trained to use simple and complex laboratory equipment such as microscopes and cell counters in performing analysis of samples. They clean and maintain these instruments. They collect and interpret data. They create and maintain accurate records and prepare a report of their findings for the physician.

The main duty of a medical laboratory technician is to prepare and carry out laboratory tests ordered by a physician and prepare a report containing their findings about the test to be sent back to the physician.

Programs:

Most of those in this profession hold a two-year associates degree or a certificate from an accredited program. The certificate program is usually one year and mostly for those who are already health professionals with experience in similar fields. It is important that you attend an accredited program as most jobs posted require certified MLTs.

You will mostly study science and clinical related subjects. A lot of the program focuses on general laboratory work. There are a lot of practical aspects to the training where trainees learn to do the job of a medical laboratory technician under the supervision of a medical laboratory technologist or an experienced and qualified technician. Most of the training is on the job training.

A lot of states require MLTs to be licensed or registered in that state before they can work. Licensing typically involves passing an examination or becoming certified. Most employers will only hire those with certification. Certification can be obtained from the American Medical Technologists. The American Society for Clinical Pathology also provides certification.

Technicians can often advance to become technologists by topping up their education to a bachelor’s degree.

Verdict or medical laboratory technician salary

Their salary is very much in line with closely related and the job outlook in this profession is very bright.